Muto Tomu (Tomu) / 12th Generation

Tomu delivered the winning award speech for AKB48

Tomu was the center for all songs

 

Awards Show clip:

if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Backstage interview:

if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Hopefully she passed it this time...

TomuSahho overseas adventures

Why hasn't Tomu posted often on Twitter? She needs to realize how important SNS presence is, lapses like this really doesn't help, not with her level of popularity.

 

Perhaps because she has not managed to send a proper explanation through her mobame.
Well, I agree that this is not a good thing, especially with the recent Macau activities and the upcoming Nemousu.
She should have promoted herself more by posting pictures from her time in Macau and also information about her special episode on Nemousu.
It is not a good thing for her because the one who can understand her pace is only her fans.

 

She wrote her thesis on idol marketing, I don't think she's unaware.


This degree of silence is highly unusual. Since I started having her mobame forwarded to me in early/mid-2016, she's sent on average 2 mobame per day, with the only rare gaps being when she was sick (didn't happen often). Even when her other social media accounts dried up briefly she was still pretty frequent with mobame.

Likewise while her G+ updates have slowed from her old daily pace, she still posted something daily on either G+ or Twitter.

She's only sent like 3 or 4 mobame since the end of March. She hasn't liked any of Ponchan's videos, or anything at all on Twitter, and made very few tweets. No G+ updates either.

And it doesn't seem like she's sick? So far all the activities she's been seen at were scheduled ahead of time, and now she's off the schedule for the upcoming Minerva stage. But, she is attending the National Handshake event two days later. And when she got back from Macau she went with Naana to see Sae's play.

So I dunno. Supposedly Naana said something in a recent mobame, but I don't know what it was.

I'm kinda worried. It could be something as simple as a new phone that doesn't play nice, but I think she'd have explained that by now. Add to that talk of appearing genki/forgetting her concerns and focusing on her job in the few mobame she has sent.

 

Maybe this is the reason why she kept silent.
She suddenly announced her withdrawal from Sousenkyo
http://ameblo.jp/akihabara48/entry-12265080247.html

 

a) She passed the exam, and wants to focus more on related jobs, or better, got a job offer she couldn't reject.
b) She didn't passed it, and considers that perhaps splitting her activities as student and idol might be taking its toll in succeeding (ex. like Shibata Aya).
-
I don't know how to feel about it, the only thing I know is that I will always support what makes Tomu feel calm and happy.

 

Precisely, although I was a bit upset for not having another chance to support her during sousenkyo, I was also relieved to see her broke her silence.
It might have been a difficult time for her.
I don't want her to carry this burden by simply registered herself for sousenkyo to please her fans or for her mere impulse.

If it is the best for her, I will always support her.
She also indicated on her blog post to continue contributing to AKB48 from now on which I assume she is not graduating in the near future(hopefully)

 

Sad news that Tomu isn't competing.

From what people have said maybe something is up. I hope she doesn't graduate.

 

Always the worry. Most of the people (true, not all of them) who don't do SSK, graduate reasonably soon after. I can see Management stopping what push there was for her after this.

And this comes right before Thursday/Friday, the normal day for the Scandal Mags to break something...

 

Well, i don't know what to say. I don't see how she can stay relevant in akb without the ssk and probably without mngmt's favor.

 

i hope she doesn't graduate
i thought she'd make Kami 7 this year for sure

 

Guess we will have to wait and see what comes out in the next few days - I feel there is more to this story. There has to be.

 

No idea if it's related, but Yuiri mentioned on her stream that last year someone tried to pressure her into entering, but she refused. Perhaps Tomu was similarly pressured before she had fully made up her mind?

edit: Nikkan Sports article, though I don't think it adds anything new
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170413-01806741-nksports-ent

 

I don't buy her explanation that she's skipping the SSK to hone her skills, sounds like a cop out.

I think she didn't want to participate for whatever reason and management really pressured her to, but I wish Tomu is more decisive than this. I'm sure that quite a few of her fans already committed funds.

Another of her act that just fuels her antis and frankly doesn't really help her if she's serious about entertainment business. Do or don't. It almost sounds like she's losing her drive in AKB. I don't blame her, she's not exactly an AKS-blessed member, but still this latest act really disappoints me.

 

I agree. For whatever reason she felt that she couldn't participate, it seems unlikely that honing her skills was such a serious matter that she had trouble making the decision beforehand. And if management really did pressure her...I'm disappointed that she a) let them and b) didn't commit. If she were to allow them to force her to participate (she does make a lot of money) she should have went through with her decision. Yuiri denied them last year, and there are tons of girls that don't participate so she could have just not went. She waited last minute to do it anyways.

I don't know I just feel like this was very poorly handled by her. By know, she should have an idea of how actions affect your image, popularity, etc. She wrote her thesis on Idol Marketing so she definitely has some understanding. Besides there are other members not bless by AKS who are still risking it and trying to get opportunity. Maybe she is tired of proving herself, but I feel like she should have proved herself until it couldn't be done anymore.

Best of luck to her, regardless.